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Hurricanes
2017
Rebuilding Lives
Restoring Health

Read our 2017 Atlantic Hurricanes one-year report.

The Deadly Season

The historic 2017 Atlantic hurricane season produced 17 named storms, most notably Harvey, Irma, and Maria that left hundreds dead, destroyed communities across the southern U.S. and Caribbean and caused an estimated $265 billion in damage – the most expensive hurricane season on record. Hurricane Harvey set a new mark for the most rainfall from a U.S. tropical storm. Hurricane Irma became one of the strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricanes ever recorded. Hurricane Maria was the most powerful hurricane to make landfall on the main island of Puerto Rico in 85 years.

The Facts

51+ inches of U.S. record rainfall from a tropical storm– flooded an area in Texas the size of NJ
More than 200,000 homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged.
The strongest hurricane to strike Texas since 1961’s Hurricane Carla.
Heavy impact areas: Corpus Christi, Houston, Port Arthur/Beaumont, Rockport

The Facts

The Facts

Americares Hurricane Response

Americares simultaneously responded to all three storms, deploying 75 Americares relief workers who spent more than 2,500 days in the field. The teams focused on meeting survivors’ health needs, increasing access to care and preparing safety net health facilities to better prepare for future storms. Our extensive U.S. Program partnerships with a network of local safety net clinics and health centers provides the foundation for the speed of our response and the magnitude and quality of our recovery efforts.

Looking Ahead

The barrage of storms and the generous outpouring of donations allowed Americares to launch its largest disaster relief program since the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami. We continue working in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, Dominica and the U.S Virgin Islands, helping to restore health care access, expand mental health services and improve preparedness for future storms. We are working with health facilities directly impacted by the hurricanes to assess the effectiveness of their level of emergency preparedness prior to and after the storms and then assist them to strengthen and expand their capabilities going forward. Our Hurricane Irma relief program is helping health centers serving the most vulnerable populations to better prepare for future storms.

Our long-term recovery programming is focusing on mental health and psychosocial needs. We are working to support 9,000 health workers in disaster-affected communities in Texas and Puerto Rico with mental health programming, support groups and educational resources. Both the physical and psychological recovery after a disaster require sustained support over the long term, and Americares has made that commitment.  

35

emergencies

1.3 million

prescriptions provided

7.9 million

medical supplies delivered

Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Maria

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Health Makes Everything Possible

Our Impact with Your Giving Dollar
Generous donors make all our achievements possible. We are able to respond to more disasters, expand our health programs and save more lives because of the individuals, foundations and corporations that trust Americares to improve the lives of people in the United States and around the world.